How the Latino Caucus Fails to Safeguard Californians’ Health

In an op-ed piece published Thursday in the San Jose Mercury News, two Latino environmentalists—from East L.A. and San Francisco—applaud Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and his the California Latino Legislative Caucus colleague Ricardo Lara for offering moral support to recent demands to shut down a toxic Exide plant in East L.A. that has reportedly been operating without a permit for nearly 40 years since landmark federal air quality laws were passed in 1976.

But when it comes to actual action on tighter state environmental regulation, the record of both de León and Lara has been disappointing, the op-ed writers argue, citing the senators’ effort to help kill a single-use plastic bags ban in May as well as their role and that of the Latino caucus in weakening SB 4, a recent state bill against underground fracking, that eventually became law.

Click here to read the full op-ed.

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